Will the Nintendo Switch 2 Release in India Officially? Here’s What We Know

Also, PS5 Pro sales spurt, how not to announce a game, and more.

Nintendo’s next Switch 2 reveal this week should give us an idea of the company’s release date, price, and of course games. From an India perspective, the Nintendo Switch is the market leader despite Nintendo not having an official presence in the country. Right now, the Nintendo Switch is a steady seller at retail with over 500,000 units sold in India since launch. This is similar to the number of PS5s sold in India. The entirety of the country’s Nintendo Switch-owning populace has been supplied unofficially by parallel imports.

Nintendo had its representatives in India during the India Gaming Show in February to talk shop with multiple vendors as it charts out a potential India launch. Sources tell us discussions are still ongoing. However that won’t stop an efficient parallel imports channel to bring the Nintendo Switch 2 to market in line with an international launch.

“We’re just waiting on a price before locking in our first month of stock, customers are already after us for a price,” says a Mumbai-based trader. “Like the Switch launch, I don’t know if I will have enough stock after day one.”

Retail customer enquiries since the last reveal have driven up interest in the console.

“I already have customers demanding I take deposits so they get it day one,” says a Delhi-based retailer. “Until I know the US dollar price, I can’t just do that.”

Most expect a $400 price tag for the Nintendo Switch 2 for international markets. India on the other hand, should see it in the Rs. 45,000 to 50,000 (~$526-$584) range as per my estimates. The first few months will likely see it sell at a premium before normalising at about Rs. 40,000 (~$467).

If the Nintendo Switch 2 does make it here officially, expect it to be around 20-25 percent more expensive than it is right now unless Nintendo is willing to subsidise its hardware costs.

Furthermore, while a pricier Nintendo Switch 2 would also bring with it official after-sales support and a robust first-party line-up of games as well as the Nintendo eShop, it would also ensure the existence of a prolific parallel market that would likely operate at a lower price. This is what happened with the Nintendo Switch as well.

The efficiency of parallel sales channels in India is such that the Nintendo Switch was available in line with its March 3, 2017 global release. These units were sourced by enterprising retailers at prices ranging from Rs. 37,000 to 45,000. Fast forward to nearly eight years later and we have the likes of Amazon flooded with merchants selling the console as well usually between Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 35,000 depending on the model. All of this makes tackling price — while staving off competition from the likes of the Lenovo Legion Go series and Steam Deck — will be of interest.

And while Nintendo Switch 2 sales are likely to be strong at launch, the PS5 Pro appears to having an uptick. While not available officially, the PS5 Pro had strong sales in the country at offline stores. Some claim almost 30 percent of PS5s sold are the more expensive Pro console.

“We didn’t bring the Pro at launch as we couldn’t price it lower than Rs. 100,000 [~$1,169],” says one store owner operating out of Chennai. “Now at around Rs. 70,000 we’re seeing a steady stream of buyers.”

For many gamers, PlayStation or PC are seen as a step up from the usual mobile gaming that’s the norm here. If Nintendo decides to launch in India, it will have an uphill battle in terms of perception and just as importantly: price. Granted the PS5 Pro proves Indians are willing to spend more, but how long this spurt will sustain is of concern. By and large, India has been a value-focussed market even in the console and PC segment.

In my opinion: I believe the base PS5 will move more units with GTA 6’s launch than the Pro in India. If Sony plays its cards right and discounts the base console around that time, it could work wonders. Besides, sources in the supply chain indicate that while the PS4 Pro was available officially in India, it didn’t make up more than 10 percent of the install base at best.

There’s more in this dispatch courtesy of our sister site, High Chaos Run.

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